Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Page 158

AN INITIATORY RITE
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kavi colour, that is to say, dark yellow verging on red.
This colour is obligatory, not only on the devotees of both
Vishnu and Siva, but also on every one who is under a vow
of penance. It is the colour affected by all gurus and Hindu
priests of all denominations, by fakirs, also by all the priests
and religious followers of Buddha who live on the other
side of the Ganges.
Besides the lingam, there are several other outward
signs by which the devotees of Siva may be recognized,
such as the long necklaces of seeds called rudrakshas, which
resemble a nutmeg in size, colour, and nearly in shape
also the cow-dung ashes with which they besmear their
forehead, arms, and various other portions of the body.
The two chief objects of their devotion are the lingam and
the bull.
Though children usually follow the religion of their
fathers, they do not become Vishnavites or Lingayats
merely by right of birth. They are only admitted to the
sect that their parents belong to when they have reached
a certain age, and after being initiated by the guru. This
ceremony of initiation is called diksha \ It consists in
repeating certain appropriate mantrams, or prayers, over
the neophyte, and whispering some secret instructions in
his ear.
But these are all spoken in a language which is
seldom understood even by the person who presides at the
;
ceremony.
By
the diksha the
new member
acquires a perpetual
right to all the privileges of the sect into which he has
been admitted. Persons of all castes can become Vish-
navites, and after their admission can wear the namam or
distinctive mark on their foreheads.
Neither Pariahs nor
even Chucklers are excluded and it has been noticed that
the lower castes are particularly numerous in this sect.
I do not think there would be any greater difficulty in
becoming a member of the Siva sect, but as on initiation
the members undertake to entirely give up eating meat
and drinking any intoxicating liquor, the lower castes,
who do both unhesitatingly, find the conditions too hard.
Consequently, only high-class Sudras and scarcely any
;
1
This word means initiation.' Native Christians often call Baptism
gniana diksha, which means spiritual initiation.' Dubois.
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